The last few winters with little snow were nothing at all for ski sales. And the increasing online trade is putting a strain on the classic trade, which no longer has any reserves to purchase products that cannot be easily sold. This must now have hit the manufacturer of high-end skis and high-end skis so hard that it is abandoning its Swiss production site in Disentis in the Grisons. Nowadays, selling skis that cost between CHF 4,000 and 10,000 per pair is soon an impossibility, even if the niche brand has its followers who are willing to shell out more over store counters than for "normal" skis. The question is why they didn't try to launch a "Zai Light" in the normal or mid-price segment long ago, in order to increase sales and revenue. Now it is a sad certainty that Zai will close the ski factory in Disentis at the end of March 2018.
The sales problem existed for a long time
The niche brand Zai has been the subject of much concern in the industry since before yesterday. Time and again, losses have had to be realized, new capital has had to be raised or, as was the case last year, the golf division has had to accept bankruptcy. Since its peak in 2007, the topic of "luxury" has become increasingly problematic. Zai was not the only company to feel the effects of this. For example, the manufacturer of what was once the most expensive ski in the world, the French ski manufacturer and current sports brand Lacroix was still able to charge around CHF 70,000 for its "Ultime Diamonds & Gold" model set with diamonds and precious wood in 2007, but for some years now Lacroix has only had a few ski models in the price range of 1,000 to 1,500 euros and has instead developed into a fashion label. Zai, on the other hand, has always had the luxury customer in mind and has supplied and wanted to continue to supply the premium sports stores with its expensive skis, but it has failed to take into account the rising price problem of the present. Customers today buy online, often betraying the stationary trade, just to get a better price; Zai had probably not paid enough attention to this fact.
The end of Zai?
There is already talk in the industry of the end of Zai. Allegedly, the inventor of Zai, Simon Jacomet, has parted ways with Zai, according to other media. In December, long-time board member Walter Bosch has now taken his hat and Patrick Lütjens also followed him. Only those affected know exactly what the situation is. Last year, they had still spoken to us about the future. They wrote to us: "An important change is the expansion of the product range. This means that, in addition to the production of skis, we are facing new challenges. This expansion is connected with a change in Disentis. The ski production will be outsourced at the end of March 2018 and moved to a new location in Switzerland. Until then, but also beyond, service and after sales will remain in Disentis at all times. There are additional plans to establish a lean design and development LAB. The reorientation is fully supported by the investors. We now want to develop further in the areas of golf, licensing and textiles and bring high-quality products to the market. Skis remain at the heart of the Zai brand. For 2019/20, the planning of the Zai collection is already underway. The exchange, advice and service on our products will remain and strengthened in the future." Whether this is pure PR or the truth will become clear in the near future.
I hope that Zai will be able to successfully reposition itself, interpret the market signals correctly and move forward with a new direction.
"The end of Zai would be a clear loss of Swiss ski culture and ski history."
And this ending should be avoided at all costs, if at all possible.
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